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June 28, 2013

New Life Ministries Founder and Pastor Named Northeastern Seminary 2013 Distinguished Alumnus

ROCHESTER, N.Y.— Bishop Reginald A. McGill was recognized as the 2013 Distinguished Alumnus of Northeastern Seminary on Tuesday, June 18 at the Seminary’s annual Conference on Ministry. Bishop McGill is founder and senior pastor of New Life Ministries, Inc., in Rochester, N.Y. and earned the Master of Divinity degree from Northeastern in 2011.

Nominated by the seminary community, Bishop McGill demonstrates innovative approaches to ministry, engagement of his cultural context, perseverance in the face of challenges, excellence in biblical preaching and worship, equipping others to serve, and transformation of self and others through spiritual formation.

Bishop McGill has never been about maintaining the status quo. His vision and work established New Life Ministries, Inc. in 1984 with the purpose of bringing about reconciliation among the races and restoring families back to God. The ministry has become a place of refuge and healing for the abused, disenfranchised, emotionally damaged, and the lonely. It is a place for all races, ethnic heritages, and ages where stature in this life and past issues would be set aside as all come to understand the freedom of being led by the Spirit. Bishop McGill articulates his conviction this way, “When you clearly hear the Lord, the Body of Christ must be ready, willing, and able to launch out into the depths of faith, hope, and love … to acknowledge our responsibility to make a God-given, Holy Spirit inspired vision come to pass.”

Bishop McGill served for several years in human resources, and is known for interfacing well with people of diverse backgrounds – from city mayors to children, teenagers to corporate professionals. One colleague attests to his genuine care for both the practical needs as well as the spiritual journeys that others experience, noting he is a person who daily lives out Rudyard Kipling’s poetic admonition: He is one who can “walk with Kings, nor lose the common touch.” Likewise a parishioner noted, “As he gains knowledge and insights, Bishop McGill shares them in cell groups, Bible study, and through sermons. The result is that individuals desire to be better men and women of God.”

In presenting the award, Dean Doug Cullum recalled, “During his time at Northeastern Seminary, Bishop McGill always demonstrated his thirst to expand his horizons in understanding and clarity. He sought out experiences such as service in a Chinese orphanage as part of his field education and pursuing an independent study which required him to dig more deeply into the role of scripture in developing a consistent contemplative prayer life. For Bishop McGill, this constant eagerness to learn is always a means of pouring himself into others.”

Of his time at the Seminary Bishop McGill commented, “I will be forever grateful for the insight, direction, counsel, challenges, clarity, and how to develop spiritually. Northeastern Seminary challenged me to become a better student of Scripture, as well as a better servant of God and His people.”

NORTHEASTERN SEMINARY where the unchanging essentials of biblical and historic Christianity are combined with a
responsive attitude toward contemporary culture—where Christ-centered people of different ages, ethnicities, and
denominations gain the theological understanding, spiritual formation, and proven skills necessary for effective
ministry to the church and the world.